Customs and Culture in Poland under the Last Saxon King

Descriere

Jedrzej Kitowicz, a parish priest in central Poland, with a military and worldly past behind him, putting the affairs of his parish in order, in his mature years commenced to compose a colorful chronicle of all aspects and walks of life under king August III. He wrote apparently mostly from memory, creating in the process the most complete record that exists of society in eighteenthcentury Poland. A man of omnivorous tastes, a keen sense of observation, and a wry-at times bawdy-sense of humor, Kitowicz's realistic and robust literary technique has been compared for its earthiness and evocativeness to Flemish genre painting. A noteworthy example of eighteenthcentury writing and narrative talent, his Opis reveals an astounding visual memory and a modern ethnographer's eye for what constitutes a society's material culture. The present book consists of twentyfour chapters, excerpts from Father Kitowicz's Opis, complete with a comprehensive introduction. Topics include religious beliefs, customs and institutions, childrearing, education, the judiciary and the military. Particularly colorful are the descriptions of the lives of the nobility, ranging from cookery thru men's and women's wear to household entertainments and drinking habits. Each chapter is introduced by the translator's commentary.